Page 7 - Flaming Cauldron – Issue 62

ACC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER ACC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

Army Catering Corps Officers’ Club
A Club for Serving and Retired Catering Officers Room for one on top!: Chef Conductors

Since the absorption of the ACC into the RLC, Chefs have benefited by having The first accounts of Conductors in the
access to the oldest and most prestigious appointment in the British and some Army is in 1327, although recent research
ex-Colonial Armies. finds them in medieval references.
The ‘Ancient and Honourable NCO appointment in the Army, In the past, the original appointment
Appointment of Conductor’ is still, although debate still rages over the with Army Ordnance was given the
by Kings Regulations, the most senior practicalities of that seniority. seniority in order to guarantee that
artillery of the Empire was never left
WO1(Cdr) KJ Belshaw 1993 WO1(Cdr) SA Welch 1999 without ammunition. Conductors had
WO1(Cdr) SJ Cross 1993 WO1(Cdr) MP Coyle 2000 the authority to cut through red tape and
WO1(Cdr) A Fryer 1993 WO1(Cdr) RS Fletcher 2000 operational blockages. This was the case
WO1(Cdr) AJA Main 1993 WO1(Cdr) K Finch RLC 2002 until the RLC was formed. The strictly
WO1(Cdr) PJ Wood 1993 WO1(Cdr) DR Goodwin MBE 2002 controlled ‘Appointment’ was retained
Chairman duties and made available to all the RLC trades.
WO1(Cdr) RPK Flatt 1994 WO1(Cdr) EM Lewis 2003 Latterly the appointment has been made
WO1(Cdr) DR Griffiths 1994 M Abbiss 2004 to the ‘Heads of Trades’, that is the senior
Ladies Dinner Night WO1(Cdr) NG Jenkins 1994 WO1(Cdr) JA McCutcheon 2005 authorities in each of the RLC trades.
WO1(Cdr) IG Strongman 1994 WO1(Cdr) GM Thewlis 2006 Since 1993 there has been a strong
Friday 27th October 2023 at the Aviator Hotel WO1(Cdr) HR Clapperton 1995 WO1(Cdr) M Abbis 2007 tradition of Chefs appointed. Left is

WO1(Cdr) MA Thomas 1995 WO1(Cdr) M Normanton 2007 a Roll of Honour of those appointed.
The Officers’ Club Ladies Dinner Wright room at the hotel can only seat There have been no appointments since
WO1(Cdr) V Cooke 1996 WO1(Cdr) N Homer 2008
Night is our opportunity to thank 80 comfortably. 2021. The impact of ‘contractorisation’
WO1(Cdr) C Parr 1996 WO1(Cdr) DR Garwood 2009
our ladies, partners and others for the For those that have not attended of the Food Services activities of the
WO1(Cdr) RS Wright 1996 WO1(Cdr) D Asquith 2010
support they have given us and the the ladies dinner or the Aviator Hotel Army in more recent times has clearly
wider association. The dinner was held before, the hotel is positioned ideally WO1(Cdr) MB Hunt 1997 WO1(Cdr) J McBride 2010 affected the number of Chefs appointed,
President Colonel Nick Barsby
in the Aviator Hotel, Farnborough and for Corps events with a good reputation WO1(Cdr) PW Badder 1998 WO1(Cdr) E Andrews 2013 despite the continuing need to be sure
is always well attended with 78 booked for food, easy accessibility and plenty of The evening proved to be a great WO1(Cdr) RH James 1998 WO1(Cdr) J Barker 2013 Army Chefs are effective, efficient and
into attend. A great number since the accommodation that fits our needs. success, built around the camaraderie WO1(Cdr) DK Kennedy 1998 WO1(Cdr) J Rann 2014 productive and that their best interests
of the attendees and the entertainment are looked after.
WO1(Cdr) GH Roulston 1998 WO1(Cdr) JM Hall 2015
that the committee organised. The MP Coyle (Former WO1(Cdr), ex RLC TA,
evening started with pre drinks in the WO1(Cdr) CW Slade 1998 WO1(Cdr) SJ Griffiths 2019 ex Cat Sp Regt. Member of the ACC
foyer followed by dinner in the Wright WO1(Cdr) JA Thomson 1998 WO1(Cdr) O Rogers 2021 Association and the Conductors Branch of
Room. Post dinner, there was a change WO1(Cdr) CM Evans 1999 (Info from the Roll of Honour at: www.rlc-conductor.info) the RLC Association
July 2023
to last year in that we did not vacate
the dining room and move to the Sky
bar for our entertainment. This year
we remained in the Wright room to as the committee had organised a Line As Secretary, I must apologise to
Diary Marker. The Aviator Hotel
allow members to stay together instead Dancing Caller (Instructor) for the Lt Col Gordon Fletcher for getting has been booked again for Friday
of splitting into those that wanted first hour post dinner – each attendee his rank wrong on his name card –
25th October 2024. Put it in your
to dance and those that just wanted were issued with the obligatory Cowboy I demoted him to Lt – he took it in good diary today and ensure you book
to ‘have a chinwag’. There was also a hat and most if not all partook in the faith and only punished me One Bottle
for next year.
surprise in store for entertainment, Line dancing. of Port.
Pre dinner chatter All Seated

Too many sheriffs spoil the broth Party Mood In Step Which foot

PAGE 6 SECRETARY@ACCASSOCIATION.ORG | WWW.ACCASSOCIATION.ORG SECRETARY@ACCASSOCIATION.ORG | WWW.ACCASSOCIATION.ORG PAGE 7